


An Alternative to Despair

by Strider_Woah



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Despair, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-15
Updated: 2014-06-15
Packaged: 2018-02-04 17:39:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1787500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strider_Woah/pseuds/Strider_Woah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In this world, there are infinite ifs. What if, instead of despair, hope was found in a place no one thought imaginable?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. To Make Yourself Stronger

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to preface this with a note about Chihiro's gender.  
> You may have your headcanons, but my feet are planted firmly in canon, which explicitly states that Chihiro is a cis, cross-dressing male. If you would like to discuss this with me at length, please message me at http://fagito-komaeda.tumblr.com/ask/

Chihiro shut the exercise room door behind him, noticing that Mondo was already there, dumbbell in hand. Chihiro swallowed heavily, nervous. He approached the exercise equipment, setting his new gym bag down, his skirt swishing around his skinny, bloomer clad legs. 

"H... Hey, Mondo." His voice was quiet, and feminine, hushed with secrets and nerves. The man Chihiro greatly admired for his strength looked up from improving just that. Mondo gave him one hell of a cheesy, doofy smile. 

"Hey there, chick. You ready to pump iron?" He sounded positively enthused. 

"Well, yeah, but... Before that." Chihiro was visibly concerned. 

"Hm? Something on your mind?" 

"Let's say, hypothetically speaking. I... wasn't, a girl. Uhm. How would you take that?" Chihiro's face was red as red could be. He was regretful he had brought the topic up at all. 

"...Why we talking in hypotheticals here?" Mondo, how thick can you get. 

"...Okay. We're not." Chihiro blushed darker as the words came tumbling out of his mouth in an uncontrolable flood. "That statement wasn't hypothetical at all. I really meant it. I'm not a girl, at all. I mean, you can check for yourself if you want. I just, I look up to you, and you're so strong, and I want to be like you maybe someday. I told people I was a girl so they would stop making fun of me for being so weak, but, I really want to change. And, I trust you, Mondo. I really want your help to make myself stronger. I..." He had run out of words, and his voice had gone from a swell to a whimper. "Please?" 

Mondo's face switched emotions rapidly, from confusion, to frustration, to what seemed to be a look of jealous rage, finally settling back on a look of confusion. Silence hung in the air for a few minutes before Mondo spoke. 

"Of course, kiddo." He cracked a gentle smile that made Chihiro's legs tremble with joy and his heart swell with hope. 

"Oh my god, thank you, Oowada. I cannot express to you how thankful I am right now." Chihiro only knew that this situation could have gone a lot worse. A smile spread wide over the smaller boy's face. 

The happiness didn't go away as he changed into his blue workout suit, and it didn't fade away during the entire rigorous workout. 

Chihiro sat in the corner of the room, panting and tired out from the exercise his small body was not used to. Mondo approached him, laughing, sticking out his hand and helping him up. "You done for the day, champ?" 

Chihiro laughed as well. "Yeah, I think I'm going to be sore tomorrow." 

"You wanna hit the bath?" 

This invitation was rather unexpected, but Chihiro couldn't not reply. "Uhm... Sure. Yeah, that'd be nice." And he smiled up at Mondo.


	2. Cleanliness is Next To Godliess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chihiro couldn't help but giggle.
> 
> "You have to ease into it, Oowada-kun."

Chihiro slid his lithe and already sore body into the large bath with some aprehension. Mondo followed shortly behind him, squealing as he hit the water. "Fuck, that's hot!" Chihiro couldn't help but giggle. 

"You have to ease into it, Oowada-kun." 

"Shut up, kid." Oowada said this teasingly with a smile. He sat almost near enough to Chihiro where they were touching, but Chihiro didn't think anything of it until Mondo spoke again. 

"So. Earlier, you asked me a hypothetical question. Now I have one for you." It almost seemed like Mondo's voice was wavering, getting a little louder than normal. 

"What is it?" 

"How would you react if I kissed you?" 

"Oh," was Chihiro's initial reaction, accompanied by red cheeks and wide eyes. "I'd... probably let you." 

"Really?!" The surprise in Oowada's voice was obvious. 

"Yeah. Really." Chihiro barely got the words out of his mouth before Oowada's lips were desperately pressed against them. It was as though the Super High School Level Motorcycle Gang Leader didn't know how to do anything halfway. Chihiro made a noise of pleasant surprise, hands grabbing Oowada's wet back, finger tips digging into his taunt skin. 

Everything would have been hunky dory, if a voice hadn't burst the quiet of the room. 

"Upupupu... What's this I see?" The familiar voice of the Hope's Peak headmaster echoed off of the bath walls. Mondo jerked away from Chihiro with a vocalization of surprise, but Chihiro screamed. 

Monokuma danced along the bath's edge. "The steaminess... The romance! My heart is fit to explode! This is absolutely unBEARable!" 

"Shut the fuck up, you monochrome piece of shit," Mondo grumbled out. 

After a lengthy discussion with Monokuma about the school rules about intercourse, and about whatever else it was Monokuma decided to go on about, he left, leaving the two still in the bath to sit there in awkward silence. 

"...Maybe another time," was what Mondo chose to break the silence with. 

"...Yeah. Maybe." 

They left for their rooms with knowing smiles on their faces. The turn of events the night had taken were a nice distraction from the despair that surrounded them, that seemed at times to ooze from the remaining students, and stink like rotting flesh. This fresh smelling hope in their hearts, however, Chihiro knew was likely short-lived. Who knew what despairing turn of events the next day would bring? Only time would tell.


End file.
